A method is performed for scheduling a calibration relating to an optical device in a light source. The method can be performed by a calibration system including a calibration apparatus and a prediction controller. The method includes: receiving a property associated with the optical device while the optical device is being calibrated; calculating a current degradation metric based at least on the optical device property, the degradation metric modeling behavior of the optical device; estimating when a degradation of the optical device would exceed a threshold based on the current degradation metric; and scheduling a calibration of the optical device based at least in part on the estimate of optical device degradation.

An exposure apparatus comprising a holding part for holding an electric discharge lamp, the electric discharge lamp includes an electric discharge tube which covers an electric discharge space in which a pair of electrodes are disposed to face each other, a socket provided on one end of the electric discharge tube, a metal member which guides one of the pair of electrodes into the socket, wherein an opening for ventilation is provided in a bottom of the socket, the holding part includes a ventilation pipe to form a path for ventilation through the opening in the bottom of the socket, and a cooling part for cooling the metal member by supplying a cooling medium to the metal member through the ventilation pipe.

An exposure apparatus comprising a holding part for holding an electric discharge lamp, the electric discharge lamp includes an electric discharge tube which covers an electric discharge space in which a pair of electrodes are disposed to face each other, a socket provided on one end of the electric discharge tube, a metal member which guides one of the pair of electrodes into the socket, wherein an opening for ventilation is provided in a bottom of the socket, the holding part includes a ventilation pipe to form a path for ventilation through the opening in the bottom of the socket, and a cooling part for cooling the metal member by supplying a cooling medium to the metal member through the ventilation pipe.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a charged particle source module for generating and emitting a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, comprising: a frame including a first frame part, a second frame part, and one or more rigid support members which are arranged between said first frame part and said second frame part; a charged particle source arrangement for generating a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, wherein said charged particle source arrangement, such as an electron source, is arranged at said second frame part; and a power connecting assembly arranged at said first frame part, wherein said charged particle source arrangement is electrically connected to said connecting assembly via electrical wiring.

A radiometer probe for matching a spectral sensitivity of a dry-film resist is provided. The radiometer probe includes a light probe and a filter-diffuser assembly connected to the light probe. The filter-diffuser assembly includes a filter housing configured to receive an optical diffuser positioned on a filter. The optical diffuser and the filter are separated by a spacer.

A method for photoresist-free photolithography to pattern a surface of conductor or semiconductor substrate and deposit a material includes surface cleaning and irradiating a surface through a mask with VUV photons from a lamp. Photons are generated with a VUV lamp having a wavelength of 160 nm-200 nm and with an intensity sufficient to alter the surface. The photons are directed through a mask pattern to alter the surface chemistry or structure in those areas of the substrate defined by the mask. Material is selectively deposited onto the surface, in those portions of the surface that are exposed to the VUV photons, or unexposed to the VUV photons, depending on the substrate surface. A method uses a seed film and then electroplates metal onto the seed film in the mask pattern. A method provides for electroless deposition of metal and another for altering surface chemistry in the mask pattern.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a holder configured to hold a substrate having a pattern formed with a resist material for ArF immersion lithography on a surface of the substrate inside a processing container; a rotation driver configured to rotate the holder; and a light source part having a plurality of light sources configured to irradiate the surface of the substrate held by the holder which is rotated by the rotation driver wherein the light sources include irradiating vacuum ultraviolet light, wherein an amount of irradiation of an inner side of the substrate with light from the light source part is made larger than an amount of irradiation of an outer side of the substrate with light from the light source part.

A method of method of operating a multibeamlet charged particle device is disclosed. In the method, a target attached to a stage is translated, and each step of selecting beamlets, initializing beamlets, and exposing the target is repeated. The step of selecting beamlets includes passing a reconfigurable plurality of selected beamlets through the blanking circuit. The step of initializing beamlets includes pointing each of the selected beamlets in an initial direction. The step of exposing the target includes scanning each of the selected beamlets from the initial direction to a final direction, and irradiating a plurality of regions of the target on the stage with the selected beamlets.

A light source apparatus includes a holder configured to hold a lamp including a metal base having a cylindrical surface, a condensing mirror configured to condense light generated by the lamp, and a nozzle including an ejection hole configured to eject a gas to cool the metal base. A distance between a straight line including a center axis of the ejection hole and a center axis of the metal base ranges from not less than ½ of a radius of the cylindrical surface to not more than the radius.

An exposure apparatus and method. The exposure apparatus includes a control system, light source system, plurality of illumination systems and plurality of projection objective lenses. The light source system is configured to emit a plurality of first illumination beams incident on the illumination systems. Each illumination system includes a variable attenuator and branch energy detector. The branch energy detector is configured to detect an illuminance level of a second illumination beam generated in the corresponding illumination system and feed it back to the control system. The control system is configured to adjust the illuminance levels of the second illumination beams in the respective illumination systems by controlling the respective variable attenuators therein. The exposure apparatus and method have improved exposure performance and allow finer and faster energy adjustments, thus enabling precise control and higher exposure accuracy.